Broken Soul
by SmexyBocchan
Summary: Alois' only desire in life is to be loved by others. He fights for Claude's affections, but it never seems to be enough. As he struggles desperately, he faces many trials, some that almost kill him. But amid the horrors, he slowly gains unexpected relationships. Will they be enough to fulfill the desires of this young boy's heart?
1. Hopeless

His blue eyes glanced towards the door of his bedroom. Having just awakened from a nightmare-filled sleep, he expected to see his butler at the door with breakfast. Of course, he was disappointed. Claude never did anything, at least not unless he asked him.

_What a pain. _Alois couldn't help but feel unhappy at the thought. But just as quickly as the thought came, he shoved his emotions to the back of his mind, not wanting to deal with it now. Slowly he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

As if sensing his master's movement, Claude walked in with a plate full of eggs and toast, and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. "Good morning, Your Highness." He said to him, his face emotionless.

"You're late." Was all Alois responded, pretending to be more interested in his bed sheets.

Claude bowed slightly. "My apologies, bocchan." He set the plate of food down in front of Alois, looking at him as he did so. He noticed Alois' tired, sleepless eyes but was too lazy to say anything.

Alois felt like his soul was being pierced by his gaze. He shifted uncomfortably. "What are you staring at?" He asked, his voice full of annoyance. His mood was sour today, although it oftentimes tended to be.

Claude smiled. "Nothing. Can I get you anything else?"

"Just leave me you stupid demon.." Claude nodded and bowed. Alois watched as he gracefully walked out of the room, his eyes staying on him until the demon was gone. He hadn't really wanted him to leave. He didn't truly want him gone, but he figured it'd be better, at least for now.

He sat for a few minutes until he was positive Claude was gone. Once he was sure, he grabbed his plate of food and tossed it into the garbage. It had only been recently that he had stopped eating, or at least he didn't eat when there was no one around. This action was a way of punishing himself, at least he thought it was. It seemed only fair. Everyone else seemed to punish him, so why shouldn't he? He still hadn't quite figured out what he was punishing himself for, but whatever the reason, he deserved it.

Out of all the things he didn't know, there was one thing that he was sure of: he was unloved. It was this knowledge that seemed to fuel his attitude. Some days he was fine, other days he'd go ballistic. Of course the reasoning for these tantrums was an indirect cry for help, a desperate plea. It didn't seem to work, though. He knew his actions probably weren't the best, but that was the only way he knew how to act.

It seemed as if the whole world was against him. All his life he had been treated like he was worthless, and he was abused. Even now he was still treated poorly, although he had a lot more things.

There was a time when his happiness existed, but not anymore. Sometimes, especially recently, the temptation to end everything was massive. Forming a contract with Claude had been the last hope he had, but even that wasn't working. The small delicate thread of hope he had was quickly breaking.

He laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. A crazy smile crossed his lips. "You think you're better than me, don't you." Alois said to no one in particular. He laughed. "No, I'm great too!" His lip quivered as his eyes slowly filled with tears. All of the emotions that had been suppressed exploded to the surface in huge waves. He began to sob uncontrollably. He honestly couldn't take it anymore. His fists slammed into the nearby dresser hard, causing it to shudder slightly.

Hanna poked her head in as she heard a loud noise. "Master, are you alright?" She saw he was crying.

"Yes, get out!" He screamed at her, giving her a reddened glare.

Usually Hanna pretended to be scared, and did as told, but she knew he needed her. She felt pity for him. Even though he continually abused her, she always stayed. It wasn't clear why. _Maybe, _she thought _I find him interesting. _It almost seemed like a maternal instinct for her staying, if she even knew what that felt like. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

"It doesn't matter…" His expression was cold, but his crystal blue, almost lifeless eyes were full of deep sadness.

She approached him slowly. "It matters to me."

Alois sniffed and looked at her slightly. He turned his back towards her and gazed out the window.

Hanna touched his shoulder slightly. As she was about to say something, he turned around and slapped her hard across the face, leaving a red mark. "Leave me alone!"

The slap didn't hurt. Her arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace. He buried his face in her chest and sobbed, clinging to her like a scared, lonely child. Gently she stroked his back.

Alois looked up at her pitifully. "What's wrong with me, Hanna?"

She cupped his delicate face in her hand. "There's nothing wrong with you child."

"Then why doesn't Claude like me…?"

She brushed the hair out of his eyes. "I don't know if that's true. Maybe you can ask him."

He slowly turned away from her. His frail, malnourished body shook slightly. He mumbled "Can you please leave so I can get changed?" She nodded and left, taking a last glance at him as she walked out.

Alois went to his closet and pulled out the usual outfit. It was clumsily put on. He cursed under his breath as he struggled with the buttons. Eventually he was dressed. Once ready, he composed himself and walked out of the room, as if nothing had happened.

He decided to go outside to the garden for a stroll. As he went out through the back door, he realized it was raining hard. A flash of lightning sounded loudly above his head. A smile crossed his face as a small giggle escaped his lips. His body felt exhilarated as the raindrops splashed on his skin.

Tilting his head up, he let himself become completely drenched. The previous events of the day temporarily melted as his child-like excitement got to him. There were so many forming puddles around him, he began splashing in them, laughing every time he got hit with a flood of water. It was almost euphoric.

This continued on for a while until eventually Claude came out to fetch him. "You should come inside before you get sick."

"Nope, you can't make me." He ignored him as he played around.

Claude sighed. "Must you be so stubborn?"

Alois laughed mockingly. "Gee Claude, I'm surprised you even noticed." He sat down and glared at him angrily.

Claude didn't seem bothered by his attitude. "Well yes I noticed. It's my job to notice such things." He grabbed Alois' chin gently and looked at him. "Are you mad at me?"

Alois' expression softened slightly. His voice came out as a sad purr. "Yes..because you hate me…" He looked down.

Claude's eyes lit up as he heard his voice. He gazed into his eyes softly, admiring his natural beauty. "Now what makes you think that?" In reality, he didn't really love Alois, but he wanted him to think that. It made his soul more desirable, especially considering he knew he had Alois wrapped around his finger tightly. It was almost amusing to think that Alois had such a strong desire to be loved by him, he'd even do anything to get it.

Alois didn't look at him. "Well, you're never around, and you don't seem to do things unless asked. It's just frustrating." His expression was filled with a longing: the desire to be loved by someone, but not just anyone. By Claude.

Claude took advantage of those feelings. "You think I do those things because I don't love you? I suppose it may seem that may, but it is not so. You're right, I haven't been doing what I should, and for that, I deeply apologize." He bowed. He could sense a small spark lit in Alois' soul at what he was saying. The reaction was exactly what he wanted. "Now, will you please come inside?"

Alois looked away slightly. "Okay.." Claude gently picked him up and carried him inside, Alois curling into him softly. He had a small smile on his face.

Claude spoke as he walked. "Is there a reason you haven't been eating lately?" Alois shrugged but remained silent. "Not only that, but you have cuts and bruises all over you. I can tell they're self-inflicted. You really should take better care of yourself."

"Why does it matter? I deserve it anyway."

"I don't think you do." Alois looked up at that. The damage Alois did to himself intriqued Claude, and was almost entertaining, but he prefered Alois to be in better shape when he took his soul.

Regardless of the reasoning, Alois was in some ways happy that he had noticed. It was validating as a person.

"I guess I'll just need to keep a better eye on you."

Alois smiled at that. His heart leapt a bit at the thought of his demon being around him more. But as excited as it made him, he refused to let it show too much. "Yes, you will. Maybe you'll actually do your job for once."

"My job?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, taking care of me an such."

The demon smiled slightly. "Of course, I'll do much better."

"Good, because that's an order, alright?" He looked at Claude as he said it.

"Yes, Your Highness." Claude snickered inwardly at the order. No doubt he'd follow it, at least the basics of it. _Oh I'll definitely take care of you _he thought as he walked Alois up to the bedroom to be changed, a small smirk on his face.


	2. A Visit

It had been approximately a week since the last events happened. Alois was beginning to feel a bit better, a sense of hope renewed in him. He sat at his desk doing some paperwork, but grew bored. His mind started to wander.

He failed to notice as Claude walked in with a tray of hot tea. He was lost in thought.

"Master, would you like some tea?" Claude asked as he set the tray down on the large oak desk Alois sat at. The boy looked up at him and smiled. "Yes, thank you." Claude smiled falsely, as he always did, and poured some, handing him the finely decorated porcelain cup.

"You certainly seem to be in a better mood since last week." Light from the open window glinted off his demon eyes. Alois couldn't help but admire it.

"Ah, yes, I suppose I am." He took the cup from Claude and sipped it, enjoying the pleasant aroma it produced. "Maybe it's because there are more things to be happy about."

"Oh, like what?" He smiled, toying with Alois slightly.

Alois leaned in close and whispered playfully in his ear. "It's a secret." He giggled and sat back in his chair, his long bangs covering part of his face. His once frail body was slowly returning to its' youthful, natural radiance. This was all thanks to Claude, who had monitored him closely, making sure Alois didn't intentionally damage his body in any way. Of course, he had attempted to harm himself a few times, but was stopped.

"Claude, I want to go visit Ciel today." The boy's eyes lit up at the thought of seeing Ciel. Even though he was constantly abused by him, Alois enjoyed spending what little time he could with him. He was determined to make the other boy like him, even if it killed him. Also, it made him laugh how Ciel reacted to some of the things he did.

"Are you sure about that bocchan?"

"Yes! It's been so long since I've seen him." His voice came out slightly whiny as he said it. "And besides, I'm terribly bored." He couldn't help but think to himself _I have Claude now I just need Ciel. _A soft smile crossed his lips at the thought of having the two most important people in his life like him. What a wonderful thing that would be.

Claude chuckled slightly, inwardly aroused at knowing he would see the boy whose soul he desired the most. "Alright Your Highness. We may go see him after lunch."

"Yay!" Alois squealed happily. "I should go get ready then!" He jumped up and ran over to his large closet, packed with a wide assortment of clothes. "Hmm, what to wear.." he mumbled to himself. After deep thought, he finally came to a conclusion. Looking through the rack of clothes, he eventually found what he was looking for.

The outfit consisted of a simple, white button-up shirt, with a navy blue vest that had a long butler-style tailcoat. It was accented with exquisite-looking silver buttons. Along with those clothing pieces were a pair of navy blue booty shorts to match the vest, and a tailored expensive jacket that had lots of ruffles and fine silver details.

Alois smiled at Claude as he walked out with the selection. "Do you think he'll like it?"

"I'm sure the young master will be very impressed." He smiled devilishly "Would you like some help getting into it?"

Alois didn't notice his smile. "That would be very nice. First, I'm very hungry, so make me something to eat."

"Is there anything in particular you'd like?" Claude watched the boy as he sat there, clearly thinking.

"Um, how about something sweet. Oo, like rice pudding!" He smiled. "Yes, that's what I want."

"That isn't exactly healthy. Maybe choose something more nutritional, and leave that for a snack."

Alois gave a small pout then smiled slyly. "Or I could just not eat at all instead. Which would you prefer?"

Claude sighed heavily. "What a stubborn boy. You know I wouldn't let that happen." Alois stuck out his tongue childishly.

"You can't make me eat. I order you, not the other way around." He really liked pushing his authority on Claude. It was the only time in his life he had been able to have control, so he liked to use all the power he had.

The demon eyed him then sighed, a sign he had given up. _There's no point in arguing with this boy _he thought. "Alright, rice pudding it is." He left the room to go make it.

Alois sat waiting, patiently at first, but he soon grew bored. He only had a short attention span. His fingers tapped against the desk, his chin propped up against his hand. "Sooo bored." He said out loud. "He should be done by now." His patience dissipated as he stood up. Just as Alois was about the walk out of the room, he was stopped by Claude.

"Where are you going Master?" Claude raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I was going to look for you." The boy looked up at him happily and smiled."

"Ah, did I take too long?"

"No, you were fine." He lied. Alois walked over and sat back down at the desk. Claude carefully set down the bowl of steaming hot food and bowed slightly. "Come get me when you are ready, and I'll help you get dressed."

"Or you could just wait here." Alois looked at him, clearly expecting him to stay.

"..If that is what you wish." He stood next to him and waited. Alois certainly took his time, taking every bite excruciatingly slow. _Good thing I have the patience of a demon. _Claude thought. _I can't wait for the day I'm done with him... _

It took at least twenty minutes before Alois cleaned out the bowl. "Ok, I'm done!" He smiled at Claude, enjoying how much annoyance he knew Claude would be feeling. He got entertainment out of it.

The boy smiled as his butler helped dress him. Occasionally he would undo the buttons Claude had already done, just playing around with him. He examined himself in the mirror after he was dressed, approving mentally of the outfit he had chosen.

"Shall we go?" His butler asked, extending a hand to him.

He giggled excitedly and took it, skipping down the hallway all the way outside to an awaiting carriage, pulling Claude along.

Alois got in excitedly. "I get to see my beloved Ciel!" _And maybe this time things will be better between us. _He thought, or at least he hoped. Slowly the carriage, driven by Claude, pulled away and headed towards the Phantomhive manor.

After a long drive, they finally made it. Alois skipped up to the front door of the manor and knocked loudly. At first no one answered, so he knocked again. He waited a second then heard the feint noise of shuffling as someone ran to answer the door. The girl that answered wasn't who he expected.

Meirin smiled at him, her large rounded glasses covering her eyes completely. "Y-yes, may I help you?" She asked in her thick scratchy voice.

"Yes, I came to see Ciel."

"Oh I see. Well he just left. But I believe he'll be back in an hour or so." Alois looked disappointed at that. "B-but you may wait here if you like." She said, not wanting to make the boy in front of her feel bad.

Alois' eyes lit up. "Really? Oh thank you!" He strolled inside and looked around. Being inside Ciel's manor amazed him. It was so elegantly decorated. He was escorted to a nice, comfortable seat in the living room.

"Can I um, get you anything to drink?"

"A glass of water would be wonderful." He said, smiling at her. Claude stood behind him, having followed in after him.

"Y-yes, let me go get that!" She ran off, hoping to impress the new guest with her ability to do something as simple as that. Her hand was shaking slightly as she returned with an empty glass and a pitcher of water.

Alois eyed her. "Are you okay? You're shaking quite a bit."

She smiled slightly, not wanting to look like a fool. "I'm fine. I-I'm not shaking." Meirin set the glass down and placed the pitcher over it. She did her best to fill it up without spilling. Sadly, she was unsuccessful. Alois couldn't help but snicker by how off she was. Meirin poured the water, spilling all over the table and onto the plush carpet.

"Oh my!" She exclaimed in embarassment. "L-let me clean that up." She ran and grabbed a rag, hurriedly wiping up all the water she could.

"Are you always like this?" Alois asked, his expression calm yet amused. He couldn't help but smirk.

She looked at him, her cheeks redder than her hair. Her head fell in shame. "Yes...hehe I'm somewhat clumsy."

He laughed. "I can tell. Do I make you nervous?" He leaned in close, giving a cute grin.

Her cheeks brightened ever more. "W-w-what? No, I just, um.." She stood up quickly. She bowed. "I should get back to work. The young master should be back soon." She scampered off quickly.

Alois leaned back and smiled, chuckling slightly. "I think I scared her off." He yawned.

"It seems you intimidated her into being so nervous. You tend to do that a lot."

He pouts. "Well it's not as if I did anything. I was only sitting here calmly."

Claude smiled slyly "Maybe your attire flustered her."

"My attire? What does that have to do with anything?" He glared slightly, offended at his outfit being critiqued negatively.

"Most people aren't used to seeing a boy of your age wearing such, well, suggestive clothing. So of course they don't always respond the best." Claude replied with full honesty.

A grin crossed the boy's face. "Maybe they're just jealous I look so damn good." His bright blonde hair moved as he threw his head back and let out a small laugh.

He stopped laughing as he heard a door slam closed and someone storm down the hallway. Ciel rounded the corner, his face an angry expression.

"What are you doing here?!" He barked.

Alois blinked in surprise and grinned. "Well hello to you too sunshine. Someone sure seems to be in a bad mood today." This remark earned him an intense glare.

"I want you out now. Don't ever come back." Ciel turned his back to him and walked away without another word.

Alois stood in shock, not knowing what to say as the last light of day slowly faded, darkening the room.


	3. A Failed Attempt, and a Bit of Kindness

Alois stood unmoving, not quite sure what to do. As Ciel was about to leave the room, he grabbed his arm, preventing his escape.

"Why are you mad at me? I did nothing wrong!" He had a look of sad confusion.

Ciel snickered rudely. "Oh really? You think so? No..you did everything wrong. Coming here, the way you always act…you being born. It's all wrong. Go die." It was if the words slipped from his mouth in his anger. He didn't truly mean what he said, but he didn't really care to take it back either. Alois had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, being unfortunate to get the brunt of Ciel's wrath.

He yanked his hand from Alois' grasp and turned his back to walk away.

Alois watched as he left, his once happy expression darkening. _I thought...things would be better.. _he thought sadly. His bangs covered his face as his eyes welled up with tears. "Fine," he mumbled "I will."

Before anyone knew what was coming, he grabbed the nearest object to him, which just so happened to be a set of antique knives mounted on the wall. He pulled one of them off and clumsily thrust the dull blade into his chest. It only managed to go in a few inches. He pulled it out to try again, wincing, but before he had the opportunity to get in another jab, Claude lunged and roughly grabbed his hand, forcing him to drop the knife.

"Stop it bocchan! Get control of yourself." Claude replied, holding him forcefully. "Don't throw away your life so carelessly."

"No!" Alois screamed, a wild look in his eyes. His judgment clouded with desperation and despair, he thrashed about, trying to escape from Claude's grip, with no success.

As if this wasn't abnormal at all, Claude calmly picked Alois up, easily holding him. "Let's get you home." He turned around to walk away.

"No, put me down right now. That's an order." Alois said, his gaze cold. He seemed to have regained some control of his emotions. The fact that he had moved around so much had caused his wound to bleed a lot.

Claude sighed and set him down.

The boy watched as Ciel, who had remained at the door with his back turned to them, turned around, a somewhat amused looked on his face. _I hadn't expected that_ he thought with a small snicker_._"That was quite a show you put on Trancy. Do you do that often?" He smirked, enjoyed the emotions he evoked in Alois. It was like a game they played, toying each other just to get wild reactions.

Alois glared at the floor and didn't say anything, more blood slowly dripping from his open wound. He coughed, his face a paler shade than normal. "I don't feel good.." He mumbled quietly.

Ciel couldn't help but feel a meager amount of pity for the boy. Although he was truly annoying, there seemed to be more to it. He figured the pity he felt was more a deep curiosity. It amazed him how loyal Trancy was to him, even though he never returned any kindness.

He sighed at what he was about to say. "Go get yourself cleaned up..and if you're unwell, you may stay a night in our guest quarters. But only one night. There's a bathroom down that hallway," he pointed to a direction "so go get yourself cleaned up. I won't be having any messes in my manor.

Alois' gorgeous blue eyes brightened at the kindness Ciel was showing him. "T-thank you!" He exclaimed happily.

"Just go."

He nodded and went in the direction he had been told. Claude trailed behind closely.

"Master, must you be so rash with your actions? It's not exactly healthy." The demon said, a small bit of disgust in his voice. _Humans are so ridiculous _he couldn't help but think.

Alois shrugged. "I can't help it." He admitted honestly as he entered the small bathroom they had been directed to. He stumbled, his wound making him moderately light-headed. He sat down.

Claude grabbed a plush towel that was under the sink and dampened it a bit with water. He also found a first aid kit and put some disinfectant on it. After removing Alois' shirt and vest, he gently dabbed the wet cloth onto the boy's wounds, causing Alois to wince every time it was touched.

"Ouch, that hurts!" He whined.

The butler rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't hurt if you had been smart enough not to cause it in the first place." He continued to clean the wound, holding the boy down so he didn't move as much.

Alois stuck his tongue out at him.

Claude ignored that. After cleaning off the wound, he wrapped it up with a clean bandage. "Now, I'd suggest you get some rest. We can't have you dying now can we." He smiled devilishly. "At least not yet."

"What's that supposed to mean.." Alois asked, eyeing him.

"Oh nothing." The demon replied, a hardly visible smirk decorating his face.

The boy coughed, wheezing slightly. He rocked dizzily in his sitting position. Claude allowed Alois to lean on him as he completed his task. Gracefully he picked the boy up, who felt light in his strong arms.

"We should get you to bed Master."

Alois nodded slightly and rested his head on the demon's chest. Within a few seconds of walking out of the bathroom, he fell asleep, curled gently into Claude. The demon couldn't help but admire the small sleeping boy. His whole essence was so frail, yet irresistible._ But not as irresistible as the other boy. _He thought hungrily, licking his lips.

Claude wandered around the large manor, searching for the guest room they would be staying in. Quickly and easily he located it.

The room wasn't terribly fancy, but was very clean and elegant looking. A large king size bed rested in the middle of the room, with a small nightstand located right next to it. The only sources of light were a few candles on the wall, and a lamp on the nightstand.

He walked across the fine plush carpet to the bed, pulling back the covers, then laid the sleeping boy down. He tucked him in gently. After watching him for a few moments, he finally left to go do some spying.

Alois' sleep wasn't as restful as he would have liked. It was hard to breathe, and he would get so hot. But when he removed the covers from off himself, he would get freezing cold soon after and have to get back under them.

His dreams weren't any better. Nightmares of his past plagued his mind, leading to a very frightened, restless sleep. He felt it was too often his sleep was like this. Combined with all the other symptoms he had, that night was simply a night full of hell.

Alois' eyes opened slowly as the first rays of morning peaked through the thick window curtains. He sat up and groaned, clutching his chest lightly. Stumbling out of bed and onto the floor, he tried to make his way slowly over to the door. Before he could get there, Claude came in and looked at him, sighing.

"Master, what are you doing? You really should stay in bed."

Alois gave him a look of protest. "But..I don't want to stay in bed. Its boring and I'm fine." He tried to prove it by standing up, but failed completely, crumpling to the floor in a weak heap.

Claude gingerly picked the boy up and laid him back in bed. "Please don't try to move about. You're far too weak for such things. Don't you want to get better?"

The boy nodded._ If I get better, I can spend more time with Ciel...I really want to see Ciel._ "I suppose you're right. But while I'm in here, can I at least see Ciel?"

The demon hesitated. "I would not suggest that. The boy isn't exactly…fond of you."

"I don't care. I order you to tell him to see me." The butler sighed and left to fulfill the order.

"I hope he'll will be willing to see me.." Alois mumbled to himself as he waited. He shifted in his position, careful not to irritate the wound.

After a long wait, Claude finally came back, but not with Ciel. "He refuses to see you right now. He says he was kind enough to let you stay, but that you shouldn't push it further."

"Is that all he said?" Alois asked, eyeing him.

Claude sighed. "He did say you should take better care of yourself.

The boy smiled widely. _So he does care! _He thought excitedly.

He looked at Claude slightly, wanting to stay longer. "Did he say when we have to leave?" He asked.

"Whenever you're well enough." The demon responded.

The boy squealed happily, causing himself to cough violently, but he didn't care. _Finally..he cares about me. _He smiled softly as he laid back down to get more rest.


	4. The Young Masters Make a Bet

It wasn't until later in the day that Alois woke up. His wound was beginning to heal a bit, although he still felt slightly sick. He looked around the room groggily and sat up curiously as he saw an empty chair next to the bed.

"Was someone here earlier?" The boy mumbled in thought to himself.

He slipped out of bed softly and padded across the room to the open door, poking his head out to look down the hall. There was no one there. Slowly, leaning on the wall slightly, he made his way down the narrow hall, looking for people. His stomach grumbled at him loudly. He realized it had been at least a full day since he had anything to eat.

Just as he was heading toward the kitchen, or at least where he thought the kitchen was located, he heard a beautiful sound. Someone was playing the violin in a nearby room. He heard them curse slightly as they hit a sour note.

It sounded just like Ciel. He was tempted to barge in the room to say hello, but decided against it. So instead he sat down just outside the room and listened intently, hooked on every beautiful note the violin produced. He giggled every time Ciel got frustrated. After an hour or so, the music completely stopped.

Alois continued to sit there, lost in thought, his eyes closed softly. He felt someone poke him softly. His trance broken, he opened his eyes and looked up to find Ciel looking at him curiously.

"What are you doing?" He asked simply.

"I was, um, listening." Alois replied, blushing slightly. "Was that you playing?"

Ciel hesitated then nodded. "Yes. It probably sounded horrible."

"What? No! I thought it was beautiful" He smiled slightly.

The younger boy eyed him. "You really did?" Alois nodded enthusiastically. "Er…thanks." He didn't quite know what else to say. As he turned around to walk off, Alois' stomach growled loudly. He sighed.

"Are you, um, hungry?" He couldn't believe he was being so nice to Trancy! This wasn't like him.

Alois blushed but smiled, giggling slightly. "I guess so. I hadn't realized it's been a while since I've eaten."

Ciel sighed again. "I'll have Sebastian make you something. I would suggest getting more rest."

The boy whined. "But I've already slept so much. I want to actually do something!"

Ciel rolled his eyes. "That's what you get for being stupid."

"I wasn't stupid! I just….well, I don't know."

"See, it was stupid."

"Fine. But still, I want to do something." His eyes lit up. "Maybe we can play a game!"

Ciel's interest was peaked slightly. "What kind of game?"

The boy thought for a second. "How about…chess!"

Ciel smirked slightly. "Alright, just be prepared to lose. No one can beat me at that game."

Alois grinned. "That's because you've never played against me. I could definitely win!" He said with complete confidence. He stood up quickly with excitement, wobbling slightly. "Let's go play now!" He smiled slyly. "And how about we make it more interesting?"

"Interesting how?" He eyed Alois suspiciously.

"We make a bet. You're so sure you can beat me, but what IF I beat you? Hm?" _This'll make it more fun _he thought, giggling to himself.

The dark haired boy pondered for a second. "Fine. What do you want if you win? And what do I get if I beat you?"

"If I win, you must have a sleepover with me. And at that sleepover we will do everything I want. Now, if you win, I'll leave immediately and not bother you for an entire month. Is that a deal?" His eyes glinted playfully.

"A sleepover? That's a bit childish..but alright. It's a deal." He led Alois to the game room and pulled out the very expensive chess set he used often. He set the board down on a small table and set up each piece where they went.

Alois smiled slyly. "You may go first Phantomhive."

"Alright. But I'm watching carefully, so if you cheat, I will automatically win."

The boy pouted playfully. "You think I'd actually cheat?" He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll keep this game fair, alright? Now don't get your knickers in a twist."

"I'm not getting… hmph whatever." He moved his first piece and watched as Alois did the same. This continued on for a bit.

"So why were you so angry yesterday?" Alois asked, trying to spark a conversation.

Ciel didn't respond at first. "It was just a bad day." He didn't really want to go into it.

"Come on, you can tell me. Did something happen?" Alois looked at him intently, hoping he would tell him.

"I…was working on an important case. We were trying to protect someone from a killer..but, well, the murderer got to our victim before we figured everything else out. I guess I was just a bit frustrated. I thought we could have done better. And then because we failed, I've been suspended from working on any cases for at least a week." He moved another piece.

Alois looked surprised. "The queen really suspended you? That's a bit harsh." He moved as well, taking out one of Ciel's pieces.

"I suppose it is, but that's what she ordered. I can't do anything about it."

Alois smiled. "Well at least you have a break for now. You're always so busy, that maybe it's time you had a bit of fun for once. You know, get out and do something you want to for once."

Ciel moved, taking out one of Alois' pieces. "I don't really do many fun things..I don't even know how actually. Nothing seems fun lately, but I suppose that's fine."

"No, it's not, you're supposed to have fun." He grinned. "I know you'll have fun at my sleepover."

"What makes you think I-" As he was speaking mid sentence Alois smiled widely at him and said 'Checkmate'

Ciel was slightly shocked. "Looks like I win Phantomhive."

"But, how?"

"You underestimate me. I can do well when I want to." He giggled. "I'm so excited now!"

Ciel didn't really know what to say. He examined the board, and sighed when he was sure Alois had in fact beaten him. "So when will the sleepover be..?" Ciel asked, not exactly enthusiastic.

"Tomorrow!" The boy responded cheerfully. His stomach yelled at him even louder than before. "Um, can I have some food please?" He asked, having completely forgotten his hunger.

"Ah, yes. Sebestian!" He called.

After a few seconds, Sebastian came in. "Yes bocchan?"

"Make something for Trancy and I to eat."

"Of course." He bowed and left, hiding his fury at the fact his Master was being so friendly with that Trancy garbage. His eyes flared angrily as he walked out of the room to make the two some food.

Ciel examined Alois, who was looking a bit pale. "Are you alright?"

Alois nodded, holding back a small cough. "Yes, I'm fine." He lied. His body felt like it was burning, and his stomach really hurt, but he refused to let it show. It was just a minor annoyance to him.

Ciel had to hand it to Alois, he could be pretty tough. He had always thought that the boy was weak, but it seemed there was a small bit of strength in him. "If you say so." He said, not really caring either way.

They sat in awkward silence for a while until Sebastian brought in two plates full of perfectly cooked spaghetti with an aromatic white sauce. Alois eyes lit up. "Oh wow, that looks delicious!"

Sebastian bowed and handed them their food, then quickly walked out of the room, not saying a word.

The boy laughed. "I think your butler doesn't like me."

"Probably not. I wouldn't blame him anyway."

Alois looked slightly offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well.." Ciel took a bite of his food and pointed his fork at Alois. "..you can be pretty annoying, and very obnoxious. And what's with your attire? It's way too flashy for most people's taste." He stated bluntly.

"You really think I'm annoying? And I quite like my outfits! Don't you?"

"Yes, I do. It's really hard to be around you sometimes. You're just too whiny and forceful sometimes. The outfits you wear aren't to my taste either." He shrugged as he said it.

Alois expression turned slightly sad. "I'm sorry…I don't mean to be annoying." He looked away. "I'm not sure how to act." He took in a deep breath and smiled. "I think you do like my attire, you just won't admit it. So what shall we do after we eat?" He asked, obviously trying to change the subject. He stuffed his face full of a large bite of spaghetti.

Ciel clearly caught the attempt to change the subject, but ignored it. "Why do you do that?" It wasn't so much out of concern he asked, but more out of curiosity, at least that's what he told himself.

"Do what?" Alois asked through his mouthful of food, trying to avoid answering.

"You know what. Changing the subject and hiding your true emotions." He took another bite of food and waited for the answer. _This boy is odd _He couldn't help but think. Then another thought crossed his mind unintentionally. _We seem to have a lot in common... _

He swallowed and paused before answering. "I guess it's just easier. I'd rather not deal with my real emotions. They're too depressing. If I could, I'd forget everything negative in my life completely."

"I think a lot of people would if they had the chance. Surprisingly, what you said makes a lot of sense.

Alois smiled and quickly finished eating. He hugged Ciel and stood up, grinning. "I think I'll take my leave."

"You're leaving now?" Ciel asked curiously.

"Yep!" He giggled. "I've got to get ready for tomorrow. I'll see you promptly at 7:00 at my manor, alright?" He waved as he walked off, leaving Ciel to himself. After finding Claude, he headed home.

The young Phantomhive boy sat quietly in thought. _Certainly a strange boy…But not as bad as I thought. _He watched through the large window as Alois' carriage rode off into the darkened night sky.


	5. Sleepover at Trancy's

Alois waited excitedly that next evening. It was about six o' clock on the dot.

"Only one more hour!" He mumbled happily to himself. He couldn't wait for the sleepover to start. _Finally, I can spend real time with the Phantomhive boy. _He thought, bouncing with energy in his seated position.

"Master, you seem very excited." Claude remarked, standing behind him. The boy was currently in the process of eating dinner. "The sooner you finish eating, the sooner you can get ready."

At that Alois begin stuffing his face with food, trying to eat it quickly. He almost choked at one point, but avoided it. Within minutes he had finished the entire plate, his face completely covered in food. Claude sighed and chuckled, then grabbed a cloth to wipe his face.

Once clean, Alois bolted from his chair and scurried into his bedroom. "Claude!" He called loudly. "What should I wear?"

"Whatever you desire." The butler replied as he followed after him into the room and waited patiently. _What an enthusiastic boy. _he thought _and one with very interesting taste.. _he thought again, licking his lips as the boy pulled out simple black shorts that seemed even shorter than he normally wore, and a simple yet elegant oversized white blouse.

"Does this work?" He asked, but didn't give Claude enough time to respond. "Of course it does! Now help me change." The boy demanded.

Claude nodded and helped him undress, then went through the process of putting on the simple bedtime attire. _You'd think someone his age would know how to dress by now, but I suppose it's a nice sight. _He smirked at the thought and stood up after he finished.

Alois grinned and skipped around the room, not able to wait the little time remaining until the sleepover started.

"You really should take it easy, bocchan. You're still not fully well yet." The demon said, trying to get him to settle down, his attempts failing.

He waved off the comment. "Don't worry. I'm fine." He grinned and danced around Claude. "This is going to be so fun!" He grabbed the butler's hands, spinning around with him.

Claude sighed as they danced around. Just as he was about to say something, there was a knock at the door.

Alois squealed happily. "I'll get it!" He hurriedly ran to the front door and opened it. Ciel stood outside awkwardly, looking around. Sebastian stood behind him, looking unhappy.

"Hey Ciel!" He smiled, greeting him happily.

"Hello Alois." Ciel replied in his usual monotone voice. Alois giggled and grabbed his hand, pulling him inside. "You seem excited." He said, smiling slightly.

"Well duh!" He smiled widely and skipped up to his living room, Ciel following behind slowly. There was an assortment of games laid out across the room, and a wide variety of snacks. Ciel looked around the room at the different items, slightly impressed.

Claude was there to greet them when they entered. He bowed and smiled, exchanging a demonic look with Sebastian.

Alois smiled at Claude. "Please leave us for the rest of the night. I'll call you if we need anything." He waved him away. The butler seemed unhappy to leave, but did as told, Sebastian smirking at him as he went.

"You should leave too." Ciel said, smirking evilly at Sebastian. He knew he would hate it. "And play nice with the butler." He turned away from him. Sebastian's eyes flared red. He glanced angrily at Alois before bowing and leaving the room slowly.

"So…what are we going to do first?" Ciel asked awkwardly. He wasn't so sure yet he was happy to be here. _I guess we'll see how it turns out. _He thought. _It should at least be entertaining._

"We should play a game first! Oh, and then we can have a pillow fight!" He giggled with delight at the idea. He wandered over to a pile of games and chose one out he thought would be fun. He brought the game over to where Ciel was and plopped down on the floor near his feet. The young boy slowly sat down as well. Alois began setting up the board.

It wasn't long before everything was ready. Alois grinned "Are you prepared to be beaten again?" He asked tauntingly.

"In your dreams Trancy, I'm for sure winning. You just got lucky last time." Ciel smiled confidently. _There's no way he can beat me again. _He thought, a bit cocky.

Alois giggled and moved his piece first, then Ciel after him. This game continued on for quite a while, neither one sure who would be the victor. They both seemed to enjoy it, occasionally taunting each other playfully.

Eventually Ciel grinned as he moved his last piece and crossing the finish line. "I told you I would win"

Alois rolled his eyes. "Yes yes, you are ever so victorious my Lord." He bowed mockingly and smiled. "Now that this is over," he said, standing up "we can have our pillow fight!" Giggles and grabs the nearest pillow and swings it at Ciel. Ciel quickly dodges and grabs a different one.

He grinned. "You're going to pay Trancy." Quicker than anyone would expect his frail body to manage, he swung the pillow at the other boy, nailing him in the chest. Alois fell back with an 'oof' sound. The boy tried to recover as Ciel got on top of him and raised the pillow. Just them Alois smacked him in the side, throwing Ciel off him. They both smacked each other in unison as the pillows burst open, the insides flying everywhere. This didn't phase them at all. Quickly each boy grabbed another pillow and continued the fight.

Before long, the room was covered in white stuffing. They both lay exhausted on the floor, panting softly.

Alois smiled. "I've always wanted to do that..It was so much fun!"

Ciel couldn't help but agree. He turned his head to look at the boy, and couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.

Alois sat up and stretched. He yawned, a wave of tiredness hitting him hard. _No, I'm not sleepy yet!_ He thought, trying to convince himself.

Ciel smirked, slightly amused at seeing the boy tired. It was obvious he was having an inner battle with himself. He let out a small chuckle. _So odd. _He thought. "You know, if you're tired you can go to bed."

"N-no! We have to stay up all night!" He tried to look like he wasn't tired.

The dark haired boy rolled his eyes. "And why is that?"

"Because that's what you're supposed to do at a sleepover. And I don't want to miss anything.."

At that Ciel forced a fake yawn. "Well I'm pretty tired myself. If you're not going to bed, I am." Gets up.

Alois jumped up quickly. "Then I want to go to bed too!" This caused Ciel to let out a laugh, making Alois pout. "What are you laughing about?"

Ciel grinned. "Just at how funny and predictable you are. Of course you'd only go to bed if I was." He chuckled and walked out of the current room they were in, and into the next door bedroom, which just so happened to be Alois'. "Interesting room." He commented.

Alois followed in after him, closing the door behind him. "What, do you not like it?"

"I didn't say that, you just have a different style than me. But I like it."

Alois smiled at that. "Really? Well good. I quite enjoy it a lot." He walked over to the soft bed and sat down on it, hoping ciel would do the same, which he did. Another wave of exhaustion hit him, causing him to produce a yawn.

"You really should go to bed Trancy. It's not healthy to stay up late anyway."

"I'll only go to bed if you truly do, and you know, you can call me by my first name." Alois looked at him as he said it.

Ciel looked a bit surprised at this. "Alright, um, Alois, I'll go to bed as well." Stands up, planning on going to a different room to sleep.

"Wait! Aren't you going to sleep here?"

A small blush appeared on the young boy's face. "You, want me to sleep with you?"

Alois nodded softly and looked down. "Maybe..I'll be able to sleep well for once, without nightmares."

The young boy felt a small amount of pity for him. He sighed. "Alright, I suppose it can't hurt. But just this once, alright?"

Alois smiled happily, his eyes lighting up. "Thank you Ciel, it means a lot."

Ciel didn't respond immediately, and crawled into the bed next to the boy. "And no touching me either, got it?" Alois nodded in agreement and laid down on his side, not too close to him. Both closed their eyes, and within minutes had drifted off into a deep sleep.

They were unaware, however, of the eyes peering at them from outside, watching their every move. To them, everything seemed, peaceful, but not for long.


	6. Capture and Rescue

Alois stirred as he felt someone shift next to him. His mind felt a bit slow and fuzzy, leaving him confused until he started to get a scope of the position he was in. Shifting a bit, he tried to move his hands, but realized they were tightly bound. Slowly the realization of everything hit hard: He was tied up, blindfolded, and gagged. Instantly he panicked, trying to call for Claude, but it was pointless, seeing as he couldn't speak. Desperately he attempted to relieve himself of his bindings, but stopped when he was slapped hard across the cheek. The pain brought out a small whimper.

For a second there was silence, until someone let out a raspy laugh, causing Alois to jump in fright.

"Seems one of our guests has awaken." The man seemed to say to someone else.

"Well then we must give him a proper greeting." Another voice mocked.

He felt the blindfold being removed. He squinted, his eyes sensitive to any light. After they had adjusted, Alois looked around, discovering they seemed to be in some kind of cellar. As he spotted the two men he had heard, his eyes narrowed. They both appeared to be nobles, but he had never seen them before. Feeling someone shift next to him again, he turned to look, and realized it was Ciel, who seemed to just be waking up.

The men laughed against. "Our guest of honor has awaken now! Oh how we'll enjoy giving him the proper treatment." One of the men, whom was much fatter and older than the other, untied his blindfold as well. Ciel glared at him angrily. "Ah look John," the man said to the other. "he's not happy."

_This can't be happening! _Alois thought frantically as he watched the encounter. He shook violently with fear. Ciel glanced at him and rolled his eyes, obviously disapproving of his weakness.

"I think the blonde one is scared." the younger man said, chuckling. "Maybe we should just kill him right now." The man was clearly toying with Alois, and it worked, to their amusement.

Alois' eyes widened at the words. Slow tears trailed down his cheeks.

They turned their attention to Ciel after enjoying him. "You're going to pay Phantomhive for what you've done to us." They loosed Ciel's gag so he could speak.

Without hesitation Ciel spat at them. "You two are absolutely revolting. When's the last time you took a bath?" He said, smirking. "You really think you'll get away with this kidnap? You guys must be extremely stupid." His words caused him to be slapped and slammed violently against the wall. He coughed but still continued to smile.

"You better watch what you say or we'll make this even worse!" The younger man yelled. "Ever since you and your stupid filthy snooping got our title taken away, it's been hell! And all for what? Selling drugs! You disgraced us, so now you'll pay." He pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ciel's head.

Ciel just looked at him, showing no sign of fear. "Do your worst, I don't care. Sebastian, I order you to come here now." He mumbled, his contract eye glowing bright.

The man took a hesitant step back, but glared. A small smile crossed his lips. "If you don't care what we do to you, I'm assuming you won't care what we do to him either." He pointed his gun at Alois.

This caused the young boy to hesitate. Alois looked at him, obviously frightened.

Both the men noticed his hesitation. "Ah, does the young Phantomhive have a soft spot for him? How sweet." They mocked.

"I do not!"

"Oh really?" The one with the gun pointed it at Alois' leg and shot. The blonde boy let out a muffled scream of pain. Ciel tried to keep a neutral expression.

"Yes really, I don't care. Go ahead and kill him if you want." He was trying to divert their attention and stall for time until Sebastian arrived.

Alois whimpered, crying silently as the new wound in his leg bled openly, some of the excess flow dripping onto the floor. Ciel refused to look at him, not wanting to give away the pity he felt for the other boy. Inside he hoped the men would stop. _Damn it Sebastian, where are you?! _He thought anxiously.

"Ah look John, you made him cry." The older man said to the younger one, leaning close to Alois. His stenchy breath was enough to cause Alois to gag. "This one 'ere obviously has no back bone in 'im. You'd think the Queen's spider would be tougher than this." He grinned, thinking himself funny. He pulled out a small pocketknife and pointed the blade at the boy. "I've never had so much fun in my life!" He laughed and slashed the blade across his cheek.

The younger man aimed his gun at him again. They smiled and shot Alois' other leg, enjoying the screams of pain they received.

"Do his feet!" The old man encouraged eagerly. Alois shook his head desperately, wanting them to stop, tears still streaming from his eyes. At the older man's request, the young one shot both his bare feet. The blonde boy screamed loudly and winced.

"Come now, wouldn't you rather, put your energy in the other boy?" The younger man, who appeared to be named John, said. The man nodded in agreement. They pointed the gun at Ciel.

"I want you to beg, or I'll make this as painful as possible."

Ciel snickered. "Beg? I'd never do that. I'd rather die."

"As you wish, you filthy dog!" He shot at him. Just as the bullet exited the gun, Sebastian burst through the door and grabbed it midair.

"Hello gentleman." Sebastian said calmly, throwing the bullet back towards them. It hit the older man in the chest, emitting an 'oof' sound from him as he fell back and crashed to the floor, groaning.

The younger man's eyes widened. "H-how? W-what are you?" He stuttered.

"I'm simply one hell of a butler." Sebastian replied. "What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't protect my master?" Before the other man could even blink Sebastian pulled out his knives, positioned gracefully inbetween his fingers, and threw them towards him. They hit their target perfectly.

The man coughed up blood and collapsed onto the floor, on top of his companion.

Sebastian sighed and picked up Ciel. "Do you enjoy being kidnapped? Let's go." He started to walk off.

Ciel looked at him. "Aren't you going to take Trancy with us?" The butler stopped in surprise, then nodded unhappily, picking up Alois and throwing him over his shoulder.

He carried both boys back to Ciel's manor. "Are you hurt bocchan?" He asked as he set them down on the bed and undid their bindings.

"I'm fine. Although you certainly took your time rescuing us." He glared slightly. "Don't let this happen again.

"I apologize bocchan." Sebastian said. In all reality he had been there for most of the counter, secretly watching. He wouldn't admit it openly, but he had enjoyed seeing Alois' pain. _It's a shame they didn't kill him. _He thought and sighed inwardly.

The blonde boy sat silently, clearly in pain.

"Sebastian, tend to his wounds. Once you're done, return him home." The demon butler nodded and started to clean him up, applying medicine, which stung badly.

Ciel got up and walked away, as if events like these were completely normal, which by this point they might as well be. He glanced back at Alois before exiting the room.

Quickly Sebastian finished bandaging the wounds and stood up. "Come with me, I'll take you home." He started walking expecting the boy to follow.

"I can't walk.." he mumbled quietly.

"What was that?" Sebastian asked, turning back, a slight annoyed look to his face.

"I said, I can't walk." He commented louder.

A soft sigh escaped the butler's lips. "I suppose I'll have to carry you then." He picked him up, a bit roughly. "Consider this a good lesson. If you're going to try and spend time with the young master, you better be prepared for pain." His eyes glinted demonically. _And now you can't get to him easily. _He smirked.

Alois remained silent as he was quickly carried home, not even bothering to fight against Sebastian's clear threat. He was too tired and in pain to really do anything. The past week had seemed so long and daunting. He felt amazed that he had managed to get through it, although he hadn't come out unharmed.

Without a word, Sebastian jumped through his bedroom window and set him down on the perfectly made bed. "I bid you farewell." He bowed then left, leaving the boy sitting there alone. Alois trembled as the adrenaline that had coursed through his veins slowly died down. He broke down in tears but was soon eased as he passed out on his soft bed.


	7. Revealing Secrets, and a New Bond

The blonde boy's eyes cracked open as he sensed someone moving around his room. He looked over to see Claude pulling back his curtains, flooding the room with mid-day light. He wanted to mumble something to his butler, but felt far too exhausted to do anything.

The demon butler glanced over at him as he noticed him stir. "Nice to see you're awake bocchan." Walks over to him and examines his wounds. "Hm, it seems to be doing better." He touched one of the wounds gently, causing the boy to wince and retract his legs, making him wince even more.

"T-that hurts." He managed to mumble, glaring at Claude softly.

"I'm sorry," bows his head slightly. "I just need to check your progress. Be glad those men only shot you in the legs, otherwise you'd be in a worse condition than this."

Alois sighed and looked away. "But I can't walk right now. What's worse than that?" Smiles to himself. "Looks like you'll have to carry me everywhere until I get better."

"Yes, your highness." Claude's voice had a slight annoyed edge to it, but Alois didn't notice. "I will do my best to make sure you are…properly taken care of." A very small smirk crossed his lips. "For now I have brought you something to eat." Walks out of the room for a few seconds, and comes back in with a tray of food: freshly made croissants, sunny-side-up eggs, and tea with a bit of cream in it. "Here you are bocchan." The demon said, serving him a plate of the food, and handing him a finely decorated tea cup. "Do you need anything else?"

Alois shook his head. "That is all for now. I'll call you if anything else is needed." Begins to eat, feeling absolutely starved. He didn't even bother to use manners when eating. He could frankly care less right now.

Claude watched him for a second, inwardly disgusted, then bowed and left the room and walked down the hall, mumbling to himself. "They should have killed him.."

The hungry boy finished his meal within minutes and sat back, feeling satisfied. He tried to adjust his legs, but it only sent a jolt of pain up his spine. "Ouch!" He whined, pouting. _If Claude had been there, this wouldn't have happened._ This thought caused him to look up in surprise. _That's odd, he never even made an effort to come rescue me. That…bastard. _

Alois looked at his empty teacup. In a burst of anger he threw it on that ground, causing the delicate cup to shatter. "That damn demon!" He yelled. The loud commotion he was making brought his butler back into the room.

"Is something wrong bocchan?" He looked at the broken teacup on the floor and sighed. "I'll have Hannah clean that up."

"No." He said sternly. "You do it."

Claude looked at him in surprise then nodded. "Yes your highness." He went to grab a broom and tray, returning quickly. Within seconds he started to sweep it up, but the boy stopped him, deciding inwardly he would punish him.

"I want you to pick up the pieces by hand. One by one." He smirked as he watched the graceful butler bend down and do as told. "Say Claude, why didn't you come rescue me?" He asked, obviously annoyed.

Claude looked up at him, understanding why the boy was making him do all this. "You simply never called for me."

"Hmph, so I have to call for you to come rescue me when I'm in dire need?" The butler nodded.

He knew how to handle this situation. As he finished cleaning the mess Alois had made, he stood up and cupped the boy's face. "Come now bocchan, you know I care about you. There's no need to be angry at me."

This caused the blonde boy to hesitate, staring into his butler's endless black eyes. He looked down. "I'm…not angry. I just wanted to know why…" Looks away pitifully, easily manipulated by Claude. "Just..next time you sense I'm in danger, you better rescue me!" Looks at him firmly then instantly softens his gaze.

"Of course bocchan." Strokes the boy's injured cheek with his thumb softly. "I will do anything you tell me." _Until you die of course. _He contemplated secretly. "Now please rest. You will need it." Turns to walk away.

Watches Claude exit the room, tempted to call him back, but deciding against it. "I don't need rest." He mumbled after Claude had left. Just as he was attempting to get out of bed, Hannah silently strolled into the room, watching.

"Master, you should do as Claude asked. You're going to hurt yourself." Looks concerned as she gingerly walks over to him.

"I don't need to rest! Besides, why do you care? You're just the maid."

In an attempt to show him her love, she bends down and gently touches his cheek. "I do care!"

Instinctively Alois slapped her across the face. "Don't touch me!"

Bows her head low. "I-I'm sorry.."

He eyes her for a few seconds then relaxes. "Do you really care? Or are you just saying that?" He looked at her curiously.

She looked up at that and smiled. "Of course I care. I always care about what happens to you." Softly sits down next to him on his bed. "You're safety means a lot to me…I just wish you hadn't gotten hurt.." Looks at his injuries sadly.

He softened a bit towards her, his negative view of her changing slowly as they interacted. "It's ok. It's not your job to protect me."

The gaze she had was filled a bit with anger, surprising the boy. "You're right, it's not my job. But it is Claude's job, and he sure does it poorly." She grabbed Alois' hand and looked at him. "Why do you allow him to treat you so poorly? You could have someone much better…"

He pulled his hand away. "Claude treats me just fine." Although he tried to sound confident, a small amount of agreement leaked out into his voice. "Besides, it's not like I'd have anyone else to go to. Claude is the only one I have, remember?"

Hannah smiled warmly. "That's not true Alois. You have me. I-if you were with me, I'd treat you perfectly all the time. You may not be aware of this, but I know a lot about you and what you like."

Alois looked at her, not quite sure what to think. Her eyes were pure and soft as he gazed into them, thinking. "How could you possibly know so much about me?" He asked, not fully trusting her.

She bit her lip, not sure if she should tell him about the contract she had formed with his brother. She shook her head, deciding it might be best to keep that a secret. "That doesn't matter. Just know that I do, because I care."

He frowned and leaned in. "Tell me. I want to know. Have you been following me around or something?" He grabbed the shirt of her outfit and pulled her close. She didn't seem too surprised at his rough reaction.

"It might be best not to tell you…but I suppose it won't hurt." Taking in a deep breath, she carefully explained the story of how Luca had contracted her in order to grant Alois' wish and make him happy, and how she had been so moved by him that from then on she decided it was her duty to watch over Alois and protect him.

The boy went a bit speechless listening. He couldn't believe it. _So..that's how my brother died. He made a demonic contract. _The thought that a demon had taken his beloved brother away angered him deeply. Without thinking, he hit Hannah violently on the cheek, the force of the hit throwing her to the floor.

Her gentle hands wiped a small trail of blood from her lip. Hannah's eyes remained aimed at the floor as she got up. "I'm sorry." She mumbled then scurried out of the room.

Alois glared at her as she left, still angry from what he had been told. "I can't believe it…." He hit his pillow repeatedly, blowing off steam. Eventually, after a while of frustration, he calmed down. Rolling onto his side, he stared out the open window, deep in thought. _Hannah really took my brother from me… _He perked up. _That must mean Luca is inside her. If that's true, then she's my last possible connection to him. _The boy sighed, starting to regret hitting his maid. _Luca obviously trusted her and stuck with her, to the end. I…guess I can do the same..for him. _

"Maybe I've been too rough with her." he mumbled sadly. "She said she cared about me. Let's test that then. Hannah.." He called softly, hoping she would come back.

A few minutes passed and nothing happened. As he started to doubt she would come back, he saw a flash of purple peek around the door. "You..called?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes, please come in here." She did as told and elegantly walked over to the bed, standing with her hands together in front of her, looking at the ground. "It's alright, you can look at me." At that she lifted her gaze up a few inches. He studied her for a few minutes in silence, looking her over, trying to decide what to say next. "Is what you told me true?" Was the next thing that came out of his mouth.

Hannah nodded and softly said, "Every word."

"So then, that means my brother is inside of you." Again she nodded. He studied her for a few more seconds before quietly muttering. "I'm sorry for hitting you. I was just angry."

This caused her to be a bit surprised, never having heard him utter those words before.

He had a difficult time trying to say what he wanted to say. Apologizing wasn't exactly the boy's area of expertise. "I-I'm sorry for always being so mean to you. You were the only outlet I ever had. Please..forgive me." Alois hoped that didn't sound too cheesy or weak.

Hannah silently smiled and scooped him into her arms. "It's alright dear child, I'm sorry for keeping all this secret from you. Your brother loved you dearly, that's why he made the contract with me. He just wanted you happy, as do I. You and your brother..are the only people who have ever touched me so deeply."

Alois had a tender expression on his face. "Did you take good care of my brother?"

"Of course. I made sure he had the very best. As demons, once a meal has been made out of someone, we tend to forget about them and let them go, but I've always held him close to my heart just like I do you. Now please child, you must rest. I'll stay with you the entire time if you want."

Alois couldn't help but tear up at the words she was saying. He smiled at her offer to stay with him. No one had ever offered that to him, he always had to tell them to do it. "Thank you.." he mumbled as she wiped his tears away. Gently she laid him in the bed and tucked him in, then sat down next to him as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Claude listened in on the entire conversation from outside the room. _So you think you can steal him away from me..and my chance to get that Phantomhive boy's soul? We'll see about that. _He thought angrily, walking away from the room, many thoughts now running through his head. But the most prominent one was this: _I must get rid of them both. _


End file.
